Examples of Our Development Projects

Symbiotic Relationship with the Work Life

Humak University of Applied Sciences is actively participating into regional, national and international projects. Here is a small selection of the projects we have g on in Humak together with our partners. We are the biggest educator and developer in our areas.

Examples of Our Projects Activities

At Humak, research and development work is focused on the following:

Applied research, which is based on the results of basic research and which involves the development of new practical applications, procedures or problem-solving methods

Innovative practical development aimed at generating new social innovation and renewing existing operating models

Humak is actively engaged in developing the fields of civic and NGO activities, youth work, cultural management and sign language.

Forest UsCultural Management, Nationwide

Aim of the project was to find new models for the nature tourism by developing experiences thought the “Art Selfie” interpretations of famous Finnish cultural pieces in the Literature and Art. One of the methods for the project was to establish a website including a photo contest challenging ordinary people to create and distribute their impressions of the art work. The popular task cards were also given to various actors within tourism in order to find new kind of activities to the rental cabins in the middle of the wilderness.

The project was funded by Tavastia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre). ELY Centres are responsible for the regional implementation and development tasks in their operational areas.

Contact person in Humak: Nina Luostarinen

Distanssi Civic Activities, NGO and Youth Work, Nationwide

Together with Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Helsinki) and Verke, the National Development Centre for Online Youth Work we have studied the possibility to develop web based learning in order to raise the competence among Youth Workers. You can reach the project also through Twitter or in Facebook:

Villages and Schools Civic Activities, NGO and Youth Work, Nationwide

Together with Suomen Kylätoiminta ry (SYTY, civic society organising activities to the countryside) we are developing the work done by the volunteers in different village societies and the schools in the rural area.

Arolan Primary SchoolProject is funder by The Ministry of Employment and The Economy. Humak’s contact person is: Matti Pesola

Creve – Creative Business Incubator Cultural Management, South West Finland

Creve is a service concept for the start up within creative industries which helps companies to grow and develop in their fields. Creve seeks the growth potential for the businesses together with enterpreneurs.

Training Centre for the Interpretation and Sign Language Interpretation and Sign Language, Nationwide

It is important to offer professional real-life update for interpretation situations for the people lecturing and teaching Interpretation and Sign Language. Also teaching interpretation in the classes can’t replace the fact that you learn better in real-life interpretation situations. In Kuopio and Helsinki, places where we have Sign Language Studies, we have Training Centre for the Interpretation which offers real interpretation situations for our staff and students.

Goal of the project was to create large knowledge network in order to create new customer segments for the tourism in Southern Carelia. Goal is reached by offering business training and concultancy for the businesses working within tourism and creative industries. South Carelia is bordering Russia and having remarkably high ratio of Russian tourists visiting in the area.

The aim of the study was to find our ways how the cultural management skills would improve the income of artist having immigrant background. A professional producer worked for one year to create networks and new working opportunities for the artists for the artists in the project.

The partners of Humak University of Applied Sciences were Moniheli – the Network of Multicultural Associations, Helsinki City´s Cultural Centre Caisa and Catalyst network of Arts Promotion Centre Finland and Yritys Helsinki – Enterprise Helsinki. The conrete result of the project was the founding of SummArt Co-op in December 2013. http://www.summart.fi/

Preventiimi aims to increase overall knowledge among professionals working with youth substance abuse prevention by promoting research, evaluation and high-quality work, and providing further training and counseling. Preventiimi is administered by Humak University of Applied Sciences since 2003 and funded by Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland.

Preventiimi has a specialist network of over 100 member organizations. These organizations represent municipalities, organizations, foundations, parishes, companies and learning nstitutions. Preventiimi arranges peer support meetings, excursions, sends out monthly bulletins and offers a chance to learn more about quality in preventive work.

Projektiässät – Project AcesCultural Management, Western Finland

The aim of the project is to create a common concept that promotes work-life relations and employment to Turku region of university students that are graduating. Contact person: Iina-Maria Piilinen

The project organizes courses in creative entrepreneurship and mentoring and offers artists with immigrant background opportunities to join a co-op and sell and market their products and skills. The partners of Humak University of Applied Sciences are Moniheli – the Network of Multicultural Associations, Helsinki City´s Cultural Centre Caisa and Catalyst network of Arts Promotion Centre Finland and Yritys Helsinki – Enterprise Helsinki. The project has been funded by EAKR / Uudenmaan liitto. Contact person: Terhi Dahlman

The project reviews and examines the possibilities of developing the working conditions of those who work in NGO`s in the third sector. The subject of exprement includes different fields of operation. Through interviews the project looks into practices of professionals and the whole of the work community in third sector organizations.

The researcher will also analyze the concept of well-being in the field of NGO`s. Based on interviews and literature the needs and applicability of collegial support and other methods to further the well-being of professional work in NGO´s will be evaluated. The results of the study will be published as a net publication. The contact person: Pekka Kaunismaa

eMentoring to Support the Work in NGO´s – eMessi2Civic Activities, NGO and Youth Work, nationwide

The work in organizational activities has risks that are connected to the nature and structure of the work. The eMessi2 project aims to study and produce models that support well-being at work. The project has gathered together collegial mentoring groups that consist of personnel of partner organizations. The representative of the project workers supports the activities of the groups.

The main results of the project are: 1) the concept of eMentoring, 2) the functional introduction, training and training material of eMessi-leaders, 3) a publication that includes the description of the concept of eMentoring and results of the project as well as informing and a seminar. The contact person: Minna Rajalin

Many cultural institutions have tried to activate their audiences as the residents are not, any more seen as passive receivers of the services but as content creators. The activating measures increase the opportunities of influencing but they do not in general broaden the customer basis. The typical non-goers, like young men with little education, working men and immigrants usually stay outside the opportunities to participate. The project aims to broaden the participating opportunities for the typical non-goesrs. The participants of the pilot are cultural centres Stoa and Vuotalo from eastern Helsinki and cultural centre Karatalo from Karakallio Espoo. They were chosen because they have been especially active in participating the residents. Eastern Helsinki is a typical neighbourhood with a great number of immigrant population.

The project starts with examining the measures that have been taken to participate the audience. The surveying is international, and a benchmarking visit will be made to several European destinations. In the second phase the statistics of the underutilization of the regional cultural centres of Helsinki and Espoo, as well as the needs of the cultural centres will be analysed. The third phase is creating a new kind of “cultural activist register” to the members of which concrete participating and influencing possibilities are offered. The experiences of participating will be evaluated with those involved (Phase 5).

A model of the participating methods that is applicable to cultural management nationwidely will be constructed, and a publication and a seminar will published to spread the results to the whole of the cultural field. Contact person: Arto Lindholm